David McCallum Biography

His father David McCallum Sr., was first violinist for the London Philharmonic and his mother, "Dorothy Dorman", was a cellist, so it is not surprising that he was originally headed for a career in music (oboe), studying briefly at the Royal Academy of Music. He left that, however, for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He made nearly a dozen movies in the United Kingdom before his critically acclaimed work as "Lieutenant Wyatt" in Billy Budd (1962). He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of the blond Russian agent "Illya Kuryakin" in TV's "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." (1964) (1964-68).